Expert guides and advice
If a deed poll website keeps taking a small monthly payment — often around £2.95 — you've almost certainly been enrolled in a subscription hidden in the checkout small print. Here's what the charge is, how to cancel it through the company or your bank, and how to pay for a name change once.
Yes — you can legally change a child's first name, surname or whole name in the UK. For an under-16, everyone with parental responsibility must consent; a 16- or 17-year-old can do it themselves. Here is the complete 2026 guide: who must agree, the steps, the costs, and what to update afterwards.
Scotland, England & Wales and Northern Ireland share one core method for changing your name: the deed poll. The main difference is that people born or registered in Scotland can also have the change recorded by National Records of Scotland. Here’s what differs and what’s identical.
Solicitors charge £150-£300+ to change your name - but they add no legal value for a standard name change. Here’s exactly what makes a deed poll valid, why you don’t need a lawyer, and how to get the same legally accepted document from £14.49.
A practical UK guide to changing your name across digital accounts after a deed poll: email, social media, Apple, Google, Microsoft, PayPal and subscriptions - which need legal proof, which are just a settings change, and the smart order to do it in.
You only ever need one deed poll. The same legal document updates your passport, bank accounts, HMRC, DVLA, NHS and employer. Here’s exactly how a single deed poll serves every record update-and why having enough copies lets you change everything at once.
Choosing between an enrolled and unenrolled deed poll? We break down the pros and cons of each to help you decide which legal path is best for your name change.
Changing your name is only the start. Learn how to store your deed poll safely, order spare originals, keep every record consistent and sail through future passport and licence renewals without a hitch.